NPR Gets $4.7 Million Grant, Will Open Newsroom Hubs in California and Midwest

NPR announced Tuesday that a new $4.7 million grant from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will enable the company to open two new newsroom hubs.

The donation from Schmidt and his wife, Wendy Schmidt, to the Collaborative Journalism Network will “create two new regional newsrooms–one in California and a Midwest hub connecting Member stations in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska–that will increase local coverage across the states, especially in underserved communities, and will expand investigative reporting capacity,” according to NPR.

They will help the public radio stations in those states expand their local reporting and their contributions to the national radio programs. The California newsroom will serve the 17 public radio stations across the state, which air in 50 cities. The midwestern hub will serve the 25 public radio stations in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska that broadcast in 63 cities.

In a statement, Wendy Schmidt said, “Local news is especially important, and with so many newsrooms in decline, we need to invest in strengthening reporting resources from trusted sources like public radio. These regional news hubs will not only increase local reporting of critical issues, they will also elevate diverse voices and perspectives in regional and national stories.”

The timing of the grant is noteworthy given how many local papers and outlets are struggling amid the pandemic and shutting down.